Rustico Restaurant & Bar Restaurant Review

: Like its Alexandria-based sister restaurant, this Rustico is noted for its fire-baked pizzas, which come with such unlikely toppings as fig and prosciutto, braised duck and poached pear, and spicy shrimp. But the menu is not your everyday sort of meal plan. How many restaurants launch lunch or dinner with carrot hummus, a special maple-accented squash soup, or a Boston Bibb lettuce salad with maple granola? Main dishes are evenly divided between the lighter fare, such as the grilled cheddar burger and crispy salmon sandwich, and the heartier grilled rockfish, wild mushroom and oxtail risotto with mascarpone cream, and roasted lamb shank, which comes with harissa and a cucumber-feta salad. Nothing is left unvarnished, and the chef wisely chooses the extra tidbit to spark interest and appetites. Desserts are not for the faint-hearted: a red velvet cheesecake and a chocolate-peanut butter bread pudding with caramel sauce. Menus likely incorporate seasonal fare, so expect to find changes from time to time. Check out the brew listing with nearly 300 beers on hand.